What Disciplemaking is Not

What Disciplemaking is Not

Disciplemaking is a process that transcends the mere teaching of material. Instead, disciplemaking is a process designed to grow authentic, mature disciples of Christ. It's gritty, it's real and it's effective.

It's been said that "If you make disciples, you always get the Church; but if you make a church, you rarely get disciples."

If you study the way that Jesus carried out his ministry, you'll notice that he operated within four spheres of influence. His first and closest companions (Peter, James and John) got the best of his time and his highest level of engagement. These men grew to become some of his most effective partners in growing the early church.

Next, were the 12 disciples. These men worked with Jesus for three years and were a part of almost everything he did. Beyond this, were the 72 committed followers. And finally, there were the crowds.

Jesus served everyone, casting a wide net of invitation into the Kingdom of Heaven; but the crowds were not the focal point of his efforts. His primary attention was reserved for the three – those who he knew would carry his vision forward.

Jesus' model of "life-on-life relationship" should be our primary goal. Without it, all we have are church services.

A disciple is not simply a convert, but one who has responded to a "higher call" beyond the entry level. A disciple is someone who has committed themselves to a lifelong journey of loving God by investing in those who come next and raising them to maturity.